ELLIS
,
ROBERT
(
Cynddelw
;
1812
-
1875
),
Baptist minister, preacher, poet, antiquary, and commentator
.
B.
3 Feb. 1812
at
Ty'n-y-meini
near
Pen-y-bont-fawr, Mont.
He was a
farm labourer
from
1822 until 1835
. His interest in literature and antiquities and his knowledge of poetry were probably kindled by his mother and rustic literati such as
RichardMorris
, the
turner
of
Pentre-felin
,
JamesJones
the
tailor
, and
HumphreyBromley
, the
Unitarian preacher
. These interests absorbed him until he joined the
Baptist church
at
Gefail-rhyd
(
1832
) and began to
preach
in
1834
. The following year he had some ten months’ schooling under
JohnWilliams
(
1806
-
1856
)
, author of
Yr Oraclau Bywiol
, at
Llansilin
. He was
minister
at the following places:
Llanelian
and
Llanddulas1836-8
,
Glynceiriog1838-42
,
Sirhowy1847-62
,
Caernarvon1862-75
. He d.
19 Aug 1875
at his old home,
Gartheryr
, between
Oswestry
and
Llanrhaeadr
, when he was on a preaching and lecture tour.

He was a man of many parts. He was an exegetical, doctrinal, and practical
preacher
, a considerable master of the pulpit Welsh of his day, speaking roundly, clearly, and with a natural fluency. He carried weight in bardic and eisteddfodic circles. It was his
awdl
‘
Yr Adgyfodiad
’ in
Seren Gomer
,
1849
, which brought him to notice as a
poet
and gave him his bardic name. His masterpiece is probably ‘
Cywydd y Berwyn
,’ but his ‘
Awdl ar Ddistawrwydd
’ is also charming. He had a national reputation as an
eisteddfod adjudicator
(on poetry mostly),
conductor
, and
orator
. In
Tafol y Beirdd
,
1853
, he discussed the ‘twenty-four metres’; he edited the 2nd impression of
Gorchestion Beirdd Cymru
(by
RhysJones
)
, and
IsaacFoulkes
's reprint of
Barddoniaeth Dafydd ap Gwilym
. He also compiled
Blodau Arfon
(the work of
Dewi Wyn
) and edited
Geiriadur y Bardd
. He
delighted in lexicography
and produced
Geiriadur Cymreig Cymraeg
,
1868
. His poetry —
Barddoniaeth Cynddelw
— was published under the editorship of
Ioan Arfon
by
H.Humphreys
,
Caernarvon
, in
1877
. He was interested in every kind of antiquarian lore, published
Manion Hynafiaethol
,
1873
, and contributed eighteen chapters to
Hanes y Brytaniaid a'r Cymry
(by
Gweirydd ab Rhys
). His wit, his natural gift for
public speaking
, and the wide range of his knowledge, made him one of the outstanding lecturers of his time — if, indeed, he was not the most outstanding; his subjects were extremely varied, but his chosen field was
Wales
in history and literature, and all his lectures were linked up with his genius for rummaging in the past. He was a great benefactor to the press of his denomination: he edited
Y Tyst Apostolaidd
,
1846-50
;
Y Tyst
,
1851
;
Y Greal
,
1852-3
; and continued to edit the poetry which appeared in
Y Greal
until the end of his life; he also
edited the poetry column
in
Seren Gomer
,
1854-9
. He
wrote biographies
of his
teacherJohnWilliams
and of
EllisEvans
of
Cefn-mawr
. His commentary on the
New Testament
(
Esboniad ar y Testament Newydd
) continued to appear in parts from
1855
until his death. He contributed articles to
Enw. F.
and to the
Gwyddoniadur
, not to mention numerous periodicals. Nor was he indifferent to the theological discussions of his time, particularly the
Maclean-Campbell controversies
. Frequent reference is made to his handsome appearance, his wonderful memory, his vivacity and wit; and, to his contemporaries, the diversity of his genius and the encyclopaedic extent of his knowledge, were alike remarkable.